In the original Power Rangers series, there comes a turning point for the show, a moment when fans watching see what it really takes to be a Ranger. In the second season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there is a changing of the guard as three members of the original team leave the series and three new teens are brought in - who choose to help before ever getting a helmet. That paves the way for characters to come and go.
When the original Pink Ranger Kimberly Hart decides to follow her dreams, she chooses Kat Hillard to replace her. Both young women (eventually) romance teammate Tommy Oliver, have to learn to stand on their own feet with limited fighting experience, and save the day plenty of times. Which Pink Ranger is really the best?
10 Kimberly: Flies A Plane
In the early episode "Foul Play In The Sky," Kimberly finds herself in a unique situation. Her uncle, a pilot, agrees to take her up to fly over Angel Grove. Bulk and Skull decide to tag along just as her uncle gets dosed with a sleeping potion. That means he falls asleep at the controls while Bulk, Skull, and Kimberly are left in the small passenger plane.
Thanks to her time as the Pink Ranger, she has a little experience in the sky in her pterodactyl zord. Of course, the zord does a lot of the work itself. Kimberly, with a little guidance from Zordon, pulls herself together and flies the plan to safety.
9 Kat: Never Pushes Tommy Too Far
When Kimberly leaves the series, she and original Green Ranger Tommy Oliver are an item. They apparently try to keep up a long distance Ranger relationship, but it doesn't work out. When Kat joins the series, even though she's under Rita's spell, it's immediately apparent that she has eyes for Tommy. Rita even has Kat target him and Kimberly specifically as a part of her plan.
Once she's herself, despite Kat's feelings for him, she never crosses any lines with him, or pushes him for information about how he feels about her. Even in the follow up series Power Rangers Zeo, when Kimberly breaks up with Tommy, Kat still doesn't pursue a relationship with him. She waits for Tommy to heal, and she maintains a role as one of the most supportive teammates he's ever had.
8 Kimberly: Tricks Goldar Into Thinking She's Evil
For some reason, Goldar and Lord Zedd both seem especially fond of tormenting Kimberly and Tommy. Perhaps it's because the bad guys resent that Tommy gets out from under Rita Repulsa's thumb and starts a relationship with the Pink Ranger. For whatever reason, it means Kimberly is often the subject of one of their convoluted plans.
One such plan involves Goldar kidnapping Kimberly in the hopes of using a spell to turn her evil so she can be Lord Zedd's new queen. When the spell doesn't work on her, Kimberly buys herself some time, doing her best Rita Repulsa impression, and keeping the bad guys at bay long enough for her to get some backup from the other Rangers.
7 Kat: Breaks Free Of Rita's Brainwashing
When Kat is under the spell of Rita Repulsa, she calls the latter "Empress," and does whatever she's told, for the most part. Kat is both good enough and strong enough to break through the spell a few times to realize just what it is she's doing.
It's interesting that Kat is so strong without the benefit of a connection to the morphing grid, some sort of talisman of love, or a connection with the team. In most cases of breaking through a spell that turns them evil on the series, the Power Rangers themselves need all the help they can get. Aisha even has all of the love in her grandmother's necklace to help her against a monster that literally makes her friends hate each other. Kat has nothing but her own heart.
6 Kimberly: Masters The Power Bow
Both Kimberly and Kat don't have a lot of experience fighting when they become Power Rangers, but Kimberly takes to the power bow very quickly. When Kat joins the team, she doesn't make much use of her weapons at all.
The logical explanation here is actually a behind-the-scenes one. It's likely that most of the footage of the Pink Ranger using her bow had already been used up by the time Kat comes on board. Despite that, one of Kimberly's stand out moments in the series is when she fights a musical monster by turning her power bow into a harp, and then using it to fire the Green Ranger's dagger at the monster, disrupting his power.
5 Kat: Chooses To Be A Ranger
Kimberly doesn't choose life as a Power Ranger. Instead, Alpha-5 and Zordon pluck five teenagers from Angel Grove and give them power coins without a whole lot of an explanation. Kat knows what the Rangers are - and what threats to them exist - when she takes over the Pink Ranger role.
Kimberly goes to Kat when she considers leaving the team and discusses becoming a Ranger with her. Kat accepts the duty, but also knows Kimberly might not decide to leave the team. She's ready to step in at a moment's notice if she has to.
4 Kimberly: Isn't A Damsel In Distress
There's one big difference between Kimberly and Kat when fighting in the field. That's how often they need help.
Despite them both having the same lack of experience, Kimberly doesn't often ask for (or need) help in the midst of fighting putties, tengas, or whatever else the bad guys throw at her. Every so often she gets overwhelmed, but she doesn't spend almost every single fight asking one of the other Rangers to help. Kat, more often than not, gets trapped or outnumbered and asks Tommy to bail her out.
3 Kat: Talks Tommy Down
This particular moment doesn't happen in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but during Kat's time as the Pink Ranger in the sequel series Power Rangers Zeo. Had Kimberly remained in the series, it's entirely possible this moment would have gone to her, but with Kat and Tommy growing closer, Kat being able to break through the brainwashing of the Machine Empire is a hugely dramatic moment for her.
Tommy believes himself to be a high ranking member of the Machine Empire and the Power Rangers his enemies. He's also in the middle of an arena of aliens and monsters forced to fight. When the Power Rangers are there, it's Kat's idea to remove her helmet in the middle of the arena to appeal to Tommy as a familiar face. The team follows her lead and they're able to wake up their friend. It's one of her biggest moments in her time as a Ranger.
2 Kimberly: Leads Her Own Team
Comic book fans get to see an alternate universe version of Kimberly, the Ranger Slayer, who leads a new team of Rangers in the Boom Studios Power Rangers comics. That's not the only time she leads a team though. She also has her own temporary team in the Power Rangers Pink mini series, and even leads a team in the show itself.
When Kimberly is sent back in time to when Angel Grove was still just a small town during America's westward expansion, she meets the ancestors of several of her friends. She finds Zordon and convinces him to let her borrow the power coins to lead them in battle. It's not just Tommy who can lead a team in the original series.
1 Kat: Is A Three-Time Pink Ranger
When Kat becomes the Pink Ranger, she has some serious staying power. Not only does she finish the run of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, she sticks around.
She remains the Pink Ranger through the Zeo and Turbo seasons. Kat only gives up her spot as a Turbo Ranger when the entire team does, handing powers to the next generation. Kat even still has access to her powers, able to morph in the Power Rangers Megaforce and Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel. For Kat, it's once a Power Ranger, always a Power Ranger.